Union Square

By Harley Payette Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | January 6, 2006

Phillipsburg Town Council is looking at a new way to develop plans for a Union Square upgrade to be funded by a $3.3 million grant. Usually, the town engineer, the firm of Schoor-DePalma, draws up the plans for any capital improvement. For this project, Councilman Dave DeGerolamo on Tuesday night proposed that council solicit 10 to 15 proposals from qualified engineers to get the most innovative proposal. He said that the importance of such a project to revitalizing the downtown mandated a new approach.

The annual Tim Lambert Memorial Run from Easton to Phillipsburg, N.J., will occur Saturday. The race will start at 9 a.m. in Easton with runners crossing the Northampton Street Bridge, going into Phillipsburg. Runners will go onto South Main Street, Jersey Street and Sitgreaves Street before looping back to Easton. Runners of the 5K, 10K and 1 mile races will use the sidewalk. In Phillipsburg, there will be no parking on the west side of South Main Street from Union Square to Jersey Street and on the west side of Sitgreaves Street from Jersey Street to South Main Street from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Traffic entering Union Square from 9:50 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. will be detoured.

The Phillipsburg Planning Commission Thursday night continued its scrutiny of a proposed three-store complex for the Union Square area with questions about effects the complex would have on traffic around the square and the free bridge. The project, by developer Christine Kobble, is planned for an area behind the Texaco station in Union Square and would be anchored by a Bagelsmith Food store, according to Kobble. Much of Thursday's discussion focussed on a study done for the developer by traffic consultant Louise Lamb.

By Charles Snelling Special The Morning Call - Freelance | November 19, 2008

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Thus, I write on the touchy subject of gay rights. My observations are written from the perspective of a long-time believer in conservative Republican principles. What are those you might ask? Well, a brief listing of mine would include: that the government should pursue sound fiscal policies; that government spending is not as good for the country as private persons spending their own money, and that the government should control its spending; that the government must maintain law and order; that the principal responsibility of government is to defend the country; to do for citizens only what they cannot or should not do for themselves; that less government is better government; that the free market is the best way to create wealth and last, but by no means least, that human beings should be free.

By Harley Payette Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | January 11, 2006

Phillipsburg's engineering firm made a pitch Tuesday to win a contract to improve Union Square without having to face competition. Eugene Buczynski, an engineer with Schoor DePalma Engineers and Consultants, argued during the Town Council's work session that the firm should be given a $3.3 million grant from the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. Instead of using the Clinton company, Phillipsburg is considering shopping the project out to get the most innovative proposal.

By Harley Rissmiller Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | February 7, 2007

Phillipsburg Council found out Tuesday that construction on the $3.6 million restoration and renovation of the Union Square area, mostly financed by a Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission grant, could cause drivers and residents some headaches, but the project is moving on schedule. "You'd have to work with at least one side of the road shut down," said Stanley Shrek, the town's engineer. "We're exploring the option of working at night." The project, financed with a $3.3 million grant from the bridge commission and a $300,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation, will restore the road surface, sidewalks and a retaining wall as well as add new paved parking from Broad Street to the Red Vandegrift Bridge, also called the black bridge, on S. Main Street.

By Harley Payette Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | July 2, 2004

The opening of Jimmy's on the Delaware hot dog stand at 7 Union Square marks the beginning of the revitalization of one of Phillipsburg's most important buildings. Mayor Harry Wyant said the results show the town made the right decision to sell the building. "It's a benefit to the area and a tremendous asset to the town of Phillipsburg," he said. "I can't say enough positive things about the construction. It's amazing to see the changes they've made. It's hard to believe it's the same building."

Phillipsburg police are investigating a town man's report that he was beaten and robbed Tuesday evening near Union Square. The 52-year-old victim told police he was assaulted by two males on Conrail property just south of Union Square. Police were alerted at 7:14 p.m. The man was treated at Warren Hospital and released.

A Phillipsburg man was hit in the head Wednesday afternoon when a rock fell from a cliff near Union Square. Phillipsburg police Detective Sgt. Larry Marino said the victim, 65-year-old George Welch of Union Square, was loading items into his van in a parking lot off Morris Street near the square around 1 p.m. when the rock fell. Welch was reported conscious but was flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township, where he was listed in guarded condition Wednesday night. Marino said he didn't know the size of the rock that hit Welch.

More than a half-million dollars of additional toll bridge money will go to ongoing projects in Phillipsburg and Lower Mount Bethel, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission decided Monday. Phillipsburg is to receive a new grant for $429,422 to continue its improvements on Main Street and Union Square, which is at the eastern end of the Free Bridge. The commission already had been funding related Union Square upgrades that began earlier this year. The city had applied for additional money to extend the project south along Main Street, said Frank Tolotta, the commission's deputy executive director of operations.

By Harley Rissmiller Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | December 12, 2007

A multimillion-dollar restoration of Union Square in Phillipsburg may finally begin in February. The town had hoped to start construction in October and finish next spring but the work was delayed because obtaining approvals from the New Jersey Office of Historic Preservation took longer than expected. Phillipsburg Town Council awarded a $2.8 million contract for the work last week. "We're thinking this project could start probably in February," said Town Engineer Stanley Schrek.

By Harley Rissmiller Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | October 22, 2007

Starting today, drivers will no longer be able to legally turn right on red at the intersection of N. Main Street and Union Square in Phillipsburg during peak afternoon traffic hours. And the ban doesn't come a moment too soon for business owners in the area. "It's tough to get out of here when there's a nonstop turn on red," said Carl Fortin, owner of the Union Station Grill in Union Square. "They've got to do something. It's just ridiculous," said Leon Fortin, Carl's father.

By Harley Rissmiller Special to The Morning Call -- Freelance | October 13, 2007

Drivers going through Phillipsburg's Union Square won't have to put up with traffic changes until December because of delays in starting a $3.6 million upgrade to the area. "I'd rather have it done sooner than later," said Mayor Harry Wyant. "But ultimately, it will get done." The project, primarily financed by $3.3 million from the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, includes new sidewalks, road resurfacing, sewer line upgrades and a retaining wall on S. Main Street from the Red Vandegrift Bridge -- also called the Black Bridge -- to the square.

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Squire of Bethlehem are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Christina Marie to David James DeSanctis, son of Patricia Biondi of Huntington, CT and James DeSanctis of Daytona Beach, Florida. Christina is a graduate of Freedom High School and Villanova University. She is a Production Manager for News America Marketing in Wilton, CT. David is a graduate of St. Josephs High School in Trumbull, CT. He obtained his B.A. from Curry College in Milton, MA and his M.B.A.

By Harley Rissmiller Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | September 5, 2007

Phillipsburg Town Council moved to alleviate traffic congestion in Union Square when it introduced an ordinance Tuesday limiting right turns from N. Main Street onto the Northampton Street Free Bridge. "It's a Rubik's puzzle to try and control traffic there during commuter time," Councilman Jim Shelly said of the ordinance, which would prohibit right-hand turns from N. Main Street onto the free bridge from 3-7 p.m. Monday to Friday. Council members said the traffic congestion in the area, especially coming off N. Main Street, makes it extremely difficult for drivers to get in and out of the town-owned parking lot in the square behind Jimmy's on the Delaware.

Phillipsburg police have announced the parking and traffic restrictions that will be in effect during the Phillipsburg-Easton Halloween Parade, scheduled for Oct. 25. The parade will begin at 1:30 p.m. from the Howard and McKeen streets area, proceed north on S. Main Street to Union Square and cross the free bridge into Easton. At 1:15 p.m., the following areas will be closed to traffic: the Northampton Street bridge, the parade route along S. Main Street from Center Street to Union Square, and Broad Street from 3rd Street to Union Square, until the parade passes over the free bridge and into Easton.

Taking in a pleasant fall day Wednesday, two men sit on a bench above the Delaware River off Union Square in Phillipsburg. Across the river from where they sit is the point at Scott Park where the Lehigh River flows into the Delaware. The weather forecast calls for more sun today and Friday.

By Harley Rissmiller Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | May 25, 2007

The Phillipsburg and Belvidere high school students in Lafayette College's Community Art program got a pleasant surprise when artist Gabrielle Rossamago visited their class at the Williams Center for the Visual Arts in Easton. "She mentioned a billboard that she had seen on the way that didn't have anything to do with advertising," said Jim Toia, director of Lafayette's community-based teaching program and one of four instructors in the course. "She was saying "The potential is so great and all you see is this advertising.

By Harley Rissmiller Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | February 7, 2007

Phillipsburg Council found out Tuesday that construction on the $3.6 million restoration and renovation of the Union Square area, mostly financed by a Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission grant, could cause drivers and residents some headaches, but the project is moving on schedule. "You'd have to work with at least one side of the road shut down," said Stanley Shrek, the town's engineer. "We're exploring the option of working at night." The project, financed with a $3.3 million grant from the bridge commission and a $300,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation, will restore the road surface, sidewalks and a retaining wall as well as add new paved parking from Broad Street to the Red Vandegrift Bridge, also called the black bridge, on S. Main Street.